The success of the surge offensive resulted in an intelligence windfall. Documents and prisoner interrogations (as well as identifying the dead) provided a lot more information on hostile Sunni and Shia groups, as well as interesting observations about the factions currently controlling the government. All this clarified and confirmed the very factious nature of Iraqi society. Seems anybody with a quick mouth and a lot of guns can form their own little army. This factionalism is accompanied by a self-righteousness that seems to justify a wide range of bad behavior. This includes corruption, but also murder, torture, rape, theft and a long list of exotic crimes. The religious factions invoke God a lot, but the more sectarian groups make a big deal about protecting the family or tribe. Not a lot of loyalty to Iraq, or the concept of nationwide law and justice. Iraqis will make a lot of noise about being Iraqi, but the real loyalty begins closer to home, family, tribe or mosque.
The willingness to ignore rule of law and resort to violence to achieve their faction's goal is the problem. That is why we need to keep troops in Iraq for a long time. And why we will need FBI help and judiciary advisors to help set up mechanisms to settle factional disputes peacefully under rules all abide by.
As far as I'm concerned, factions are better than a monolithic party that can smother or crush all opposition, as needed. As long as our presence and influence keeps the factional fighting in a political arena that operates under rule of law, we may be able to promote discussion, compromise, and deal-making that will foster democracy and rule of law. Factionalism would then be an asset that keeps any one party from exercising one-party rule and will mean politics can develop.
We seem to have a bushel of lemons that could sour the creation of democracy. But it need not work out that way.
Lemonade, anyone?
